Crackdown on human rights activists in Palestine

With the arrest of two international human rights activists
at Salem Military Court, in Jenin district, on Wednesday
29th January 2014, the total number of arrests of activists
in the past month has risen to five, and the number of
deportations to four. Arrested activists have reported
verbal and physical abuse while in custody. Concerns have
been raised within the human rights community as to whether
the Israeli military is carrying out a concerted campaign of
intimidation and deportation against
internationals.

Violations of due
process

The most recent arrests occurred as two
activists, Hanni Kamaly, a Norwegian, and a Canadian, were
attending a hearing for Ahmad Atatreh, a 20-year-old
Palestinian activist who had been arrested ten days earlier
at a peaceful demonstration in the Jordan
Valley.Following the hearing, which the activists had
attended in solidarity with Mr. Atatreh and his family,
Israeli soldiers violently dragged the defendant by his
handcuffs out of the courtroom. When the internationals
asked why he was receiving this rough treatment, the
soldiers took the passport from Ms. Kamaly and arrested her
on the accusation of having “slapped a soldier.” Ms.
Kamaly has a long-standing commitment to non-violent
solidarity work.

The two remaining activists and the
family of Mr. Atatreh left the court facilities and were
getting into a car outside when they were approached by
another soldier, who subsequently arrested the Canadian,
accusing him of interfering with an arrest.The activists
were held overnight in the police station in the illegal
settlement of Ariel. While in custody, Ms. Kamaly was
punched in the face by Israeli police.

Under Israeli law,
the activists should have been taken before a judge within
24 hours of their arrest. However, as in other recent cases
the police disregarded this, instead initiating deportation
procedures without following due process.

In the case of Vincent Mainville and Fabio
Theodule, (Swiss and Italian citizens respectively),
arrested 8thJanuary 2014 while trying to prevent Israeli
soldiers from firing live ammunition at schoolchildren,
although the judge later ruled that the activists had been
illegally arrested, it was too late to prevent their
transfer to immigration and therefore prevent their
deportation. Neither man was allowed a court hearing as
required by law.

“Since the outbreak of the Second
Intifada,” says Neta Golan, co-founder of the
International Solidarity Movement, “of the thousands of
international human rights activists who have have been
arrested, deported and denied entry, no criminal charges
have been brought against any one of them. No international
activist has stood trial for committing a crime. Despite
this de facto vilification by Israeli authorities, charges
have not once been pressed against an international human
rights activist.”

Activists verbally abused,
beaten while in custody

In addition to violating
Israel’s due process laws, in each of these cases the
Israeli military have beaten the activists in their custody.
Ms. Kamaly reports having been beaten at the police station
in Ariel.

While in custody, Mr. Mainville and Mr. Theodule were dragged
by their handcuffs, causing their wrists to bleed. Mr.
Mainville was also kicked in his ribs and his face. After
many hours of detention, Mr. Theodule asked for water and
was told by a border police officer, “If you want to
drink, you can drink my piss.”

While in detention, Sven
W. was blindfolded and forced to kneel on the ground for
more than an hour. At this time, an Israeli soldier
purposefully pushed Mr. W’s face in dirty water before
taking him behind a military jeep and repeatedly kicking him
in the ribs.

No help from embassies

As in other cases of illegal deportations of
international activists, Ms. Kamaly reports that she
contacted her embassy, but they were unwilling to offer her
assistance. “As a Norwegian citizen who was mentally and
physically abused by the Israeli police force,” she said,
“I feel the lack of effort and help from my embassy to
ensure my rights. I believe I’m not the only one who has
experienced this futility. This is when you begin to
question the role of the embassy and who they actually work
for—their citizens, or Israel? The evidence of abuse is
apparent whether it’s abuse towards Palestinians or
international activists. The constant violation of human
rights has to be condemned and if my own country’s
representatives are not willing to do this and are not
willing to fight for the rights of their own citizens they
should withdraw from their position in Israel. If we
continue to let this abuse happen, without question, we are
in fact condoning
it.”

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